Never say never, Rogue
by BruntLand
Summary: Gambit, desperate for not being able to kiss and touch Rogue without danger, seeks counsel for his problem from a doctor. And not just any doctor.
1. the Entry

Disclaimer:   
  
I do not own any Marvel characters appearing in this fanfic. All other characters are owned by me. I'll be adding chapters every now and then.  
  
177A Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village in New York City. Remy LeBau is standing at the front door of a mystical house. Although he is Gambit, one of the children of the atom and has seen many marvelous things in his life, this house still somehow fascinates him. Perhaps because of its inhabitant.  
  
A few days ago, Remy tried to kiss his love Rogue yet one more time. Only to get pushed away with a lecture of the consequnces. She would have absorbed his personality, powers and everything else if their lips had connected. And that's when Gambit decided to finally do something about it.  
  
Carried away with his thoughts, Remy suddenly startles: a daemonic cow opens the door in front of him! Loading his cards with kinetic energy, he assumes a fighting stance..   
  
"Calm down mr. LeBau. The doctor is waiting for you.", says the cow.  
  
"Huh? How did he know..?", stutters a surprised Gambit.  
  
"He knows. Follow me, please."  
  
They walk through the wonder-filled mansion. Gambit is dazzled by the strong magical aura of the place, but manages to walk somewhat straight. Finally, they reach a mystical room where a cloaked figure is sitting in an armchair. Suddenly an electric bolt appears out of nowhere and flies screeching at Gambit! Barely evading it, he loads a few cards with energy and hurls the at the figure. Oddly enough, his cards lose their inertia instantly and fall on the floor, powereless.  
  
"Welcome to my mansion, x-man. I see that you have a lot of potential to be unlocked. Please, be welcome.", says the cloaked man and gestures Gambit to sit down.  
  
"Be welcome..?! What was that lightning show all about then?", grunts Gambit.  
  
"A mere test. Now, why have you come here to see the Sorcerer Supreme?", asks the mysterious man.  
  
"My reasons are my own, and I will tell them to him only!", states Remy.  
  
The man casts the hood of his cloak down, revealing a middle-aged head. Black hair with gray streaks starting at his temples is well combed.  
  
"Well, here I am. The doc is in!" 


	2. the Conversation

Strange's daemon cow enters the room and sets two cups of tea on the table. Strange takes one of them and sips it. Gambit has explained his situation and the good doctor is now pondering different solutions to it. Abruptly..

"So basically you want to shield yourself from Rogue's mutant powers or alternatively shut them down completely?", asks Strange.

"I don't know about a permanent shutdown. Shielding sounds better.", Gambit tells.

"Then I have only one option to present you at the time. You have to fetch the ancient talisman of Quantai.."

"Doesn't sound that bad. There is no relic on earth Remy LeBeau couldn't st.. find."

"But this.. relic as you put it is owned by a mighty warrior. He doesn't know its powers though, but I doubt he's willing to part from it very easily."

"You got my attention.", grunts Gambit.

"As for the powers of the amulet.. it's double-enchanted, so basically it does two different things. First, it allows you to communicate with your memories.. or more precisely, the people in your memories. It is no cell phone though, since you would be conversing only with a memory, not a real person."

"Yeahyeah, but what about the effect I desire?", groans Gambit impatiently.

"It protects its wearer from all physical and psychical harm coming from outside. And since it was constructed by demigods who worshipped the mighty alien god Quantai, it is by our terms indestructible."

"But how do you know all that?"

"I have the Eye of Agamotto. I have peeked into past, when the worshippers of Quantai crashed into Ros.. Earth."

"Oh, I forgot you had that floatin' eyeball with you.. so only two questions remain to be answered.. Who has the amulet now and where can I find him?"

"You can find him patrolling the rooftops of Manhattan.."

"Don't tell me.."

"Yes.. he is the Amazing Spider-Man! But beware, he treasures this amulet greatly. It was found by his now dead uncle and has great emotional value to Spidey. Also, he has found out it's first enchantment and probably wants to have some conversations with his uncle.."

"They can wait! I'm getting the talisman, with our without his consent!"

That saying Gambit hurls himself through Strange's open window and disappears in the night.


	3. the Encounter

At a demonstration on radiation, high-school student Peter Parker was bitten by an irradiated spider, from which he gained the arachnid's incredible abilities. When a burglar killed his beloved uncle Ben, a grief-stricken Peter vowed to use his great powers in the service of his fellow man, because he had learned an invaluable lesson: With great power, there must also come great responsibility.

Standing on a rooftop, Peter Parker is holding the amulet of Quantai in his hand. He has his Spidey-gear on, because he still isn't sure whether the amulet is good or evil. But at least it has allowed him to speak with uncle Ben once. Just as he is putting on the amulet..

**Spider-sense, tingling! **

Doing a nimble backflip, Spider-man evades a biokinetically loaded card which destroys that section of the roof where he was standing. Clearly, he was not alone..

"Hold it right there, homme!", shouts an unknown man.

Standing on the other side of the roof is a red-eyed man, wearing a long coat and under it, some kind of an armor. He has also a belt with a large X in it. One of the x-men.. Gambit.

"What's your problem, pal? I thought the X-men were the good guys!", yells an annoyed Spider-man.

"Nothing personal, mon brave, but I need that amulet. You can either surrender it to me right away, or I can take it by force."

"I don't know why you want it so badly, and frankly, I don't care. It's a dear memory of someone special to me and that means that I am not going to give it to some lie-cheat-steal -guy with a bad french accent."

"As you wish. En garde!", cries Gambit and hurls another loaded card at Spidey, which he deftly dodges.

"Not a chance, bread-sticker!", rags Spidey as he uses his web to pry Gambit's staff out of the mutant's reach. However, Gambit manages to load Spidey's slinged web with some energy. Just as the amazing Spider-Man is about to reach for the staff, his web goes boom. Spidey falls down.

"Touché!", cheers Gambit.

But just as he is reaching for Spider-man's utility belt, where the amulet was tugged..

"BOO!", screams Spidey and delivers a devastating blow right in Gambit's stomach.

"URGH!", groans Gambit as he is knocked off balance by the relative strength of a spider.

"You're not taking this amulet from the friendly neighborhood Spider-man. As much as I love a good fight, you're not offering it. And besides, it wouldn't be your style anyway.", says Spidey as he gets ready to leave.

"Wait! Maybe we could reach an agreement..!", starts Gambit.

"I doubt that, but what do you have in mind?"

"Let's play some blackjack. If I win, I get the amulet."

"And if I win? I get a new Spidey-outfit? Well.. I kinda like this one, since the black costume reminded me from the alien that now possesses Eddie Brock and.."

"Non! I have this marvelous sapphire, which I eh- found from the street. It is very valuable, and I've heard you got some debts to pay."

"Sorry, but money can't buy off this amulet. And I know you would cheat in the blackjack anyway."

"That's just nonsense! I have never-", begins Gambit.

"Wait..! Duck, now!", screams Spidey as Gambit barely evades a yellow beam of pure energy!

"Merde! What in the world..?"

"We are not alone.. and that surge of energy looked all too familiar to me."

"A clever conclusion, insect.", says a metallic voice.

"Ohh.. gimme a break!", says Spidey.

Behind them,. stands a man dressed in a metallic armor and a green cape. Both heroes recognize him instantly. He is the ruler of Latveria.

"I have come for the amulet of Quantai."

He is Doctor Doom.


End file.
